The Browns can’t afford to make this mistake with Jameis Winston

If the Cleveland Browns learned one thing from last season, it’s that they can’t afford to let Jameis Winston walk this offseason. They let Joe Flacco walk and while he didn’t show the same magic he did a year ago, Deshaun Watson still looked just as bad.

And it’s a shame that Browns fans are forced to watch Watson because the owners made a bad business move and refuse to just bench him. It’s not enough that Watson was forced upon Browns fans, now they have to watch the team struggle as he looks worse with every snap.

But even if Cleveland refuses to keep Watson on the sideline while a real quarterback leads the offense, they can’t make the same mistake twice and let a really good backup quarterback take that free agency.

What Winston has done with this Cleveland Browns team since Watson ruptured his Achilles tendon is nothing short of remarkable. He’s won games, he looks like an NFL quarterback and, most importantly, he’s become the most likeable person in Cleveland.

It would be a shame for the Browns to throw this all away after everything Winston did in the worst possible situation.

What makes Winston so necessary to this organization isn’t because he wins games, which is something Watson has struggled with. But because he is the locker room addition every coach dreams of.

According to an ESPN+ story, Winston has breathed new life into Cleveland’s locker room, which must be worth something. If the Browns let him go, it would seem like the players would have a problem with it too.

Re-signing Winston doesn’t mean he has to win now. Worst-case scenario, he’s a bridge option while the Browns either temporarily build around him or bring in a rookie quarterback to help them get started on offense.

In the best case scenario, Winston can win enough games or even lead the Browns to the playoffs when Watson inevitably either gets hurt or someone has the nerve to bench him. Just as Flacco wasn’t a savior, neither is Winston.

But Winston is a much better option than Watson. And Dorian Thompson-Robinson isn’t good enough to be a bridge option like Winston.

This is an easy decision for Cleveland and it will cost them more than Watson’s contract if they don’t bring him back.